Welcome to OrchidsForum.com. We are a friendly online community for Orchid Growers all over the world. If you haven't joined yet we invite you to register and join our community. Hope to see you on our forums!

Greenhouse watering

Discussion in 'Growing Areas' started by Jon, Mar 28, 2010.

  1. Jon

    Jon Mmmm... bulbophyllum...

    Messages:
    4,437
    Likes Received:
    105
    Location:
    Denver CO, USA
    Well, I can't get to the model number without getting out the ladder and a screwdriver. It's a Herrmidifier brand, and IIRC, it was about $35. Maybe it came from Greenhouse Megastore, or some place like that. I can't remember.
     
  2. harrywitmore

    harrywitmore Member

    Messages:
    672
    Likes Received:
    11
    Location:
    Wingate, NC
    What is the target humidity. Many of these only go to 60% max.
     
  3. Jon

    Jon Mmmm... bulbophyllum...

    Messages:
    4,437
    Likes Received:
    105
    Location:
    Denver CO, USA
    I usually set it about 25-30%. It sounds low, but with the amount of unevaporated water that ends up on the plants, walls, floor, etc., RH bounces back quickly after it shuts off. The issue I have is that my GH is pretty small (9x12), so the exhaust fan sucks the air out really quickly. Maintaining RH and temps in a small space is a lot more difficult than one would think...
     
  4. harrywitmore

    harrywitmore Member

    Messages:
    672
    Likes Received:
    11
    Location:
    Wingate, NC
    What I want to avoid is big swings in RH. I'm trying to keep my smaller greenhouse at 70-80% but this time of year is the most challenging from a heat standpoint as well as humidity. Today out temperature is about 86F and the humidity is about 20%. This seems to happen every spring before I get leaves on the trees which cools me down and also raises the humidity. I have had to mist every 15 minutes to keep the humidity up and the temperature below 80.

    We went from winter to summer but hopefully the temperature will cool down over the week end. I like it hot but I want leaves first.
     
  5. Jon

    Jon Mmmm... bulbophyllum...

    Messages:
    4,437
    Likes Received:
    105
    Location:
    Denver CO, USA
    Ambient RH in the summer is between 10 & 15% here. I haven't found a good way of upping that to the desired 70ish% when I bring it into the GH. I plan on installing an evap cooler this summer, and hopefully that will minimize the massive swings.
     
  6. harrywitmore

    harrywitmore Member

    Messages:
    672
    Likes Received:
    11
    Location:
    Wingate, NC
    Same here but I won't get all that much cooling affect here as the normal RH is about 60% in the summer.
     
  7. T. migratoris

    T. migratoris Active Member

    Messages:
    588
    Likes Received:
    64
    Location:
    Mother Lode area, California
    Boy ... there's an understatement. Mine's 9x12 also & I seem to be able to control temperature reasonably well (so far at least - we'll see what happens in August) but humidity control's a bitch. Just when I think I've got it dialed in the house heats & the exhaust fans push all my hard-earned humidity outside.
     
  8. AHAB

    AHAB New Member

    Messages:
    127
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Central Florida
    To add humidity check out:
    www.hydrofogger.com

    I did a lot of research before I bought a humidifier and this one looked the best.

    I have no affiliation with Hydrofogger.

    Just a great product.

    I've been ecstatic with the performance. The droplets are about 20 microns in diameter... 0.020 millimeters very small and the fog is very buoyant just like real fog. I bought the larger one with the humidistat and it works like a charm! Keeps the RH with in the set range, even with the exhaust fans kicking on it manages to bring the humidity back up quite fast.
    They are extremely easy to set up and attaches to the waterline with an ice-maker sized flexible tubing (1/4" if I remember right). It took me just a few minutes to hook it up and had it running in just a few minutes out of the box.
    I have a small 25 x 30' GH and it works excellent, the larger one (the one I bought) is good for up to 2000 square feet.
    AHAB
    PS
    Even though I live in Central Florida, the humidity gets low over the winter, my Paphs and Bulbo's are doing much better this time around. I keep the RH around 70 to 80%.
     
  9. Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

    Messages:
    1,772
    Likes Received:
    559
    Location:
    Oak Island NC
    I replaced my Hydrofogger with an Aquafog 700 from Jaybird Manufacturing, (who used to manufacture Hydrofoggers, but apparently sold the product line).

    It was very effective, but over the years of use, my hydrofogger developed cracks in the base/tank, and was prone to break the plastic propeller that blew the atomized water droplets out of the top.

    The Aquafog unit is merely a fan into which they feed a small stream of water, and it really "throws" the fog. I have mine connected to my RO supply so I get no spotting on the plants, and the fan an solenoid valve are controlled by a humidistat, but it is possible to only control the water that way, giving you a constantly running fan when it's not humidifying.

    One negative though is the sound. The hydrofogger has a relatively gentle "hissing" sound, while the aquafog has a considerably louder, typical fan noise to it.
     
  10. Armando

    Armando Hobbyist gone wild

    Messages:
    244
    Likes Received:
    11
    Location:
    NC
    I am not sure how different the Aquafog 700 is from the Aquafog 400, but I had to unplug my Aquafog 400 because no matter where I placed it, it would make a mess making everything in front of it very wet, up to 20 feet in a 30 degrees angle, almost lost plants with that problem. Went back to under bench misting.
     
  11. Kitty

    Kitty AKA\Debby

    Messages:
    734
    Likes Received:
    16
    Location:
    Napa Calif.
    me holding the hose is the only misting system I have in my 20x22 grnhs. I keep companion plants, like ferns under the benches which I keep very wet. I also have a small fountain under bench which will evaporate a gallon of water a day in the summer. I'am thinking I'll put in a swamp cooler this year, and maybe a injector system for fert. Does anyone have recommendation's
     
  12. Jon

    Jon Mmmm... bulbophyllum...

    Messages:
    4,437
    Likes Received:
    105
    Location:
    Denver CO, USA
    I use a Chemilizer for my injector. It's a fixed ratio of 1:128, but that's easy to deal with.
     
  13. AHAB

    AHAB New Member

    Messages:
    127
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Central Florida
    The Hydrofogger has a round metal squirrel-cage type fan that (rotates horizontally) whips the water into a very fine fog.

    It is literally a 20 micron fog, just like the real fog that occurs in nature.

    The fog it produces is very fine/buoyant and the fog air floats in the air-currents.

    It does not wet the plants at all, even the plants directly in front of the output.

    My test question is always; would I buy the same product again after my experience with it.
    Does it fit the need, does it work as advertised, have I seen something that performs better?

    For the Hydrofogger I would definitely say yes, I would buy it again!
     
  14. orchidkarma

    orchidkarma Member

    Messages:
    935
    Likes Received:
    48
    Location:
    Gothenburg, Sweden
    Sounds great Jon!! I bet it takes a big load off knowing you have full control - and from your kitchen no less. ;) Nice project. I would love to see pictures one day... //Sincerely, The Control Freak
     
  15. Marni

    Marni Well-Known Member Staff Member Supporting Member

    Messages:
    13,636
    Likes Received:
    3,429
    Location:
    Santa Rosa, CA
    Kitty, I use a Dosatron for fertilizer and highly recommend it. It has an adjustable injection rate from 48 to 1 up to several hundered to one. I use the 128::1 for fertilizer, but for some other chemicals the lower concentration is necessary if you want to run it through the proportioner. McConkey has them for a good price.